yHOMELESS?

Synopsis

Glen Dunzweiler was faced with the threat of losing his home. Suddenly, a life that seemed reserved only for the mentally ill and drug addicted felt closer than he had ever imagined. This realization led him to question, what is it like to be homeless in the United States?
With only his production equipment, a car, and some bare essentials, Glen set out across America to discover what led people to a life on the street, what daily life was like for them, and what they had to do to survive. In order to better understand the homeless and the service providers he would interview, Glen chose to live virtually down-and-out by sticking to a minimal budget and sleeping only in his car or on a friendly couch when he could find one. Glen quickly experienced the desperation, irritability, and the instability that comes from going without the things we take for granted.
Glen discovers that homelessness is unbiased and could happen to anyone without a support network to fall back on. By traveling the country and speaking with destitute men and women, Glen confirms that homeless people are people first, and deserve not our pity, but our respect and our help.

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RISING TIDES

Synopsis

Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Sandy. The increasing frequency of such devastating weather events demonstrates the realities of climate change and rising seas. For many coastal communities the impacts will be devastating. They have been fighting against vanishing coastlines for years with mixed results; often having no choice but to abandon properties and move buildings. Adding to this conversation are the conservationists and scientists who feel the coastlines should be left alone for a multitude of different reasons.

Rising Tides explores the topic of coastline erosion, showing what has been done in the past, what is being done now, what worked, what didn’t and what the coastal areas can expect in the future. Through interviews with scientists, experts, nonprofits, homeowners, government officials, and other groups offering possible solutions, Rising Tides covers all angles of this life-threatening issue.

This award winning documentary offers an interesting and educational perspective so that the viewer can decide what should or should not be done to combat this global threat in our very near future.

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ROTOR DR1

Synopsis

After a viral epidemic eliminates 90% of the world’s population, the survivors struggle to rebuild and reconnect with the world they’ve lost. Autonomous drones, originally meant to deliver vaccinations for the deadly disease, now fly aimlessly through the sky and are hunted for their parts and power sources.

But when a 16-year-old boy named Kitch stumbles upon a peculiar drone named DR1, clues about his long-lost father begin to surface. As Kitch defends his new drone from a local crime syndicate, he befriends one of its members, a young woman named Maya. With Maya’s encouragement and DR1 leading the way, the three travelers set out on a journey to find Kitch’s father. Potential enemies lurk around every corner and Kitch, Maya and DR1 must work together to navigate the unknown and find the answers they seek.

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The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Synopsis

When Donald Trump says, "This election is rigged"—he should know. His buddies are rigging it.

Rolling Stone investigative reporter Greg Palast busted Jeb Bush for stealing the 2000 election by purging Black voters from Florida’s electoral rolls. Now Palast is back to take a deep dive into the Republicans’ dark operation, Crosscheck, designed to steal a million votes by November.

Crosscheck is controlled by a Trump henchman, Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State who claims his computer program has identified 7.2 million people in 29 states who may have voted twice in the same election--a felony crime. The catch? Most of these "suspects" are minorities—in other words, mainly Democratic voters. Yet the lists and the evidence remain "confidential".

Palast and his investigative side-kick Badpenny do what it takes to get their hands on the data, analyze it and go find some of these 7.2 million Americans tagged "suspects" and "potential duplicate voters" whose votes are threatened this November.

They hunt down and confront Kobach with the evidence of his "lynching by laptop." Then they are off to find the billionaires behind this voting scam. The search takes Palast from Kansas to the Arctic, the Congo, and to a swanky Hamptons dinner party held by Trump’s sugar-daddy, John Paulson, a.k.a. "JP The Foreclosure King." Palast and Badpenny stake out top GOP donors, the billionaire known as "The Vulture" and the Koch brothers, whom Palast nails with a damning tape recording.

This real life detective story is told in a film noir style with cartoon animations, secret documents, hidden cameras, and a little help from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit detectives, Ice-T and Richard Belzer, Shailene Woodley, Rosario Dawson, Willie Nelson and Ed Asner, Palast and his associates expose the darkest plans of the uber-rich to steal America’s democracy.

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NOW WE'RE ALIVE

Synopsis

As tradition requires, on his 25th birthday, Tom must choose the girl of his dreams, eyes shut, by the sound of her voice alone. Now, he must find her, guided solely by the memory of her voice. During his quest, Tom pictures her vividly and names her Jeanne. One evening after returning home from another fruitless search, he is surprised by a party and revelation: if he hasn’t found his voice after thirty days, she will come to him. However, the young woman that reveals herself, Lea, is not the one he pictured; she is not the one he loves. Tom rejects Lea but his father assures him that she is indeed the one he chose on his birthday. He must marry Lea.
Jeanne continues to appear to Tom when he closes his eyes, only now more vividly. Who is Jeanne? Does she exist, or is she a fantasy? Will Tom ever find her?
From acclaimed French writer-director Thibault Arbre, comes a very poetic film about a young man facing an impossible quest – and an impossible love. Selected in several major festivals including the prestigious Cleveland International Film Festival and Montreal World Film Festival, Now We’re Alive is produced by Giles Daoust (Starry Eyes, Soulmate, Forest Man).

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VAXXED

Synopsis

Vaxxed is a documentary that explores the journeys of parents whose autistic children were plausibly effected by a vaccine. The film also follows the story of various doctors and researchers involved with the associated studies.

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I AM THE QUEEN

Synopsis

In Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, the Vida/SIDA Cacica Pageant brings together members of the Puerto Rican community to celebrate its transgender participants.
I Am The Queen follows Bianca, Julissa and Jolizza as they prepare for the pageant under the guidance of Ginger Valdez, an experienced transgender mentor from the neighborhood. These trans women share stories of their transition, their relatives’ varying reactions, and how they find support from within the community.
Family dynamics, cultural heritage, and personal identity all play a part in how the contestants face the daily struggle that comes from being true to themselves.

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DUSTY'S TRAIL

Synopsis

At the age of six, Dusty Brandom was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that affects 1 in every 3,500 boys born. While life expectancy varies in each case, those with the disease rarely live past their 20s.

Dusty’s family realized that their happy and playful child would suffer a long, progressively weakening condition until his heart and breathing muscles ceased to function. As a family, they united to learn as much as they could about the disease and to enjoy every moment in life, which eventually led Dusty to ask the question "how come there are no old people with Duchenne?" This inspired Dusty’s mother, Catherine Jayasuriya, to form Coalition Duchenne in order to spread global awareness and raise funding for research and a cure. With the support of other affected families, they decide to scale Mt. Kinabalu, a sacred 13,455-foot high mountain, on the Malaysian island of Borneo.

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ALTO

Synopsis

Frankie (Diana DeGarmo, American Idol) is as headstrong about her rock band, The Altos, as she is about her Italian-American heritage. She has her life planned down to the last cannoli, including being engaged to a good Italian man, until she discovers a corpse in the trunk of her rental car. Convinced it was a mob hit, her sister, Heather, persuades Frankie to attend the funeral. There they meet Nicolette (Natalie Knepp), the daughter of the new Brooklyn mafia don. When Nicolette shows up at Frankie's gig, it triggers a cascade of events that take Frankie towards an unexpected romance. Also starring Lin Tucci (Orange is the New Black), David Valcin (Person of Interest), Billy Wirth (The Lost Boys), and Annabella Sciorra (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle).

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MESSAGE FROM HIROSHIMA

Synopsis

Narrated by George Takei, Message From Hiroshima provides an inside look at life and culture in the city before the first atomic bomb was dropped.
Today, where the Hon and Motoyasu Rivers meet, stands the Peace Memorial Park – the former location of the Nakajima district, which was once home to thousands of people and hundreds of businesses. When the first atomic bomb was detonated 2,000 feet above Hiroshima’s city center on August 6, 1945, all of that vanished. Seventy years later, Director Masaaki Tanabe makes it his mission to revive the memory of what once was by interviewing hibakusha (survivors) and former residents. These heart-wrenching testimonials, along withcomputer -generated recreations of restaurants, shoe stores, cinemas, and the famous Industrial Promotion Hall, recreate the sights, sounds, and smells of a lost culture and people.

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CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU

Synopsis

Based on the acclaimed memoir by renowned guitarist Andy Summers, Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police follows Summers’ journey from his early days in the psychedelic ‘60s music scene, when he played with The Animals, to chance encounters with drummer Stewart Copeland and bassist Sting, which led to the formation of a punk trio, The Police.

During the band's phenomenal rise and its dissolution at the height of their popularity in the early ’80s, Summers captured history with his candid photographs.

Utilizing rare archival footage and insights from the guitarist’s side of the stage, Can't Stand Losing You brings together past and present as the band members reunite, two decades later, for a global reunion tour in 2007.

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GENERATION BABY BUSTER

Synopsis

Generation Baby Buster is a documentary feature that explores why so many women are just saying no to procreation. Armed with insight from those who write and think about the current state of affairs for mothers, the director confronts her own ambivalence towards children head on and offers up some baby food-for-thought to a new generation of women: the baby busters.

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DAYS OF GRACE

Synopsis

"Corruption, kidnapping and vigilante justice fuel this explosive debut by Mexican filmmaker Everardo Gout. Set in Mexico City during three consecutive World Cup tournaments, three lives impacted by kidnappings, intersect. Lupe, an idealistic cop, is tasked to investigate a crime ring and finds that justice has no place when a human life has a price. When Susana’s businessman- husband Arturo is kidnapped, she must go outside the law to fight for his release. And Iguana dreams of becoming a boxer even as he is drawn into a lifestyle that finds him guarding kidnap Victim X and facing down a kidnapping mastermind.

The multi Ariel Award winning film features music by Atticus Ross, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, and Shigeru Umebayashe and features Scarlett Johansson on vocals in 'Summertime.'"

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FRENCH AFFAIRS

Synopsis

When Astrid, a professional therapist who is struggling to find meaningful friendships, starts having an affair with her patient Céline’s husband, it puts a strain on an already difficult relationship with her son, David. Meanwhile, Céline, a retired prostitute content with living a domesticated life, befriends David when he tries run away from home by booking a flight through her travel agency. However, when David discloses the affair to Céline, she must decide how to deal with the betrayal and lies.

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THE LITTLE BEDROOM

Synopsis

When Edmond (Michel Bouquet), a man quickly facing the loss of his independence, is placed in a care facility after taking a bad fall, he discovers that his son has sold his apartment. Determined to reclaim his autonomy, he leaves the care facility with Rose (Florence Loiret Caille), an empathetic nurse still suffering from the loss of her unborn child. She takes him into her home to allow him the measure of freedom he deserves. Through this new living situation they develop a bond, which helps them move forward with their lives. However, the unlikely friends must face the consequences when Edmond is reported missing.

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CITIZEN AUTISTIC

Synopsis

About The Film: Citizen Autistic offers an inside look at the activists on the frontlines of the autism war—the fight for human rights and self-advocacy. Featuring interviews with Ari Ne'eman, President of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Landon Bryce, founder of thAutcast.com, artist Robyn Steward, Clarissa Kripke, MD, and activist Zoe Gross, who discuss how Autism Speaks, one of the largest organizations in America, relies on propaganda to raise funds for genetic research without considering families touched by autism. Directed by William Davenport (Too Sane for this World), Citizen Autistic seeks to expose the controversies provoked by the organization's so-called advocacy by giving voice to some of the most articulate members of the communities it claims to represent.

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HERO OF THE DAY

Synopsis

llen, a documentary filmmaker, scores the story of his life when Mark Chambers, a former pro football star with a lot of financial baggage, agrees to be the subject of a movie; he unwittingly becomes an accomplice to Mark’s efforts to turn his life around. As the film crew records Mark’s daily activities—from selling his championship ring and confronting drivers of suspiciously parked vehicles to riding a roller coaster and gambling at an underground fight club—Allen discovers a whole new dimension to his childhood hero. However, when Mark’s impulsive decisions begin to affect everyone’s safety, Allen must figure a way to prevent his new friend from traveling down a dark path.

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OLVIDADOS

Synopsis

After suffering a heart attack, retired General José Mendieta (Damián Alcázar) is haunted by his dark past as an officer in Operation Condor, the CIA-backed campaign of political repression in Latin America that was responsible for executions, torture, and imprisonments in the 1970’s. It is estimated that over 400,000 people were imprisoned and 30,000 forcibly disappeared as a result of these government actions.

In a letter to his son Pablo (Bernardo Peña), Mendieta confesses the role he played in the abduction, persecution, and execution of countless men and women during his posting to Chile. Journalist Marco (Carlotto Cotta) and his pregnant wife Luciá (Carla Ortiz) are among those who were arrested, along with their activist friend Antonio (Tomás Fonzi) and revolutionary Andrea (Ana Calentano). They suffer terribly under Mendieta and his cohort Sanera (Rafael Ferro), which leads to a cascade of betrayals, secrets, and stolen lives that spans generations.

Olvidados (Forgotten), Bolivia’s Foreign Language Film submission for the 87th Academy Awards®, stars renowned actors from five countries, and was filmed in Bolivia, Chile, and New York. It is the first film to specifically address the horrors perpetrated under Operation Condor, which was responsible for: 50,000 deaths; 30,000 "disappeared"; and 400,000 arrested and imprisoned in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

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Director: Carlos Bolado

TRT: 112 mins

SMART

Synopsis

Humans are not the only ones in need of rescuing and in the city of Los Angeles, the members of SMART (Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team) have stepped up to save lives. Led by Armando Navarrete, this division of trained and passionate animal lovers risks life and limb to rescue every kind of creature in need, from horses to mountain lions to cats and dogs!

Follow Armando as he struggles to get his team off the ground, survives death-defying rescues and finds love, all in the midst of LA’s heartbreaking animal shelter system. Never giving up, Armando and his team have saved over 1000 lives and created new tactics, technology, and inspiration for similar programs to develop in more cities.

Shot over the course of three year, SMART is a great example of how a team of passionate and dedicated people can become real-life superheroes.

At Cinema Libre Studio

We open eyes and minds one film at a time, one person at a time. We believe in the power knowledge and the power of film to capture that knowledge which can be a force to affect change in the world today..

What We Do...

Cinema Libre studio is a full service, specialized boutique film studio, which offers an array of services to the independent filmmaker including production, post-production, domestic distribution (theatrical, home entertainment & digital, and educational), and international sales.

Our experienced team can analyze your project's unique requirements and tailor a plan based on workflow, materials, and budget. We can take you from first cut to picture lock through output and delivery, offering our working knowledge of delivery requirements for domestic and international sales.

We acquire for distribution and international sales thoughtful and carefully crafted independent films about a variety of topics ranging from environment & health issues to political activism & poverty.

We have a collection of over 150 titles in major subject areas such as environment, globalization, social justice, political science, LGBT, arts, music & culture, which are all available educationally for colleges, universities, k-12, research institutions, museums, and non-profit organizations.

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Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in the production and distribution of social issue narrative & nonfiction films. Since 2003, the studio has released over 150 titles and remains at the forefront of the independent film movement, providing the expertise and relationships that filmmakers need to find their global audience across all platforms.

Headquartered in Burbank, CA the team has worked on dozens of award winning films, including the Sundance Audience Award‐winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY?, Rachid Bouchareb’s LONDON RIVER and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is in pre-production on an epic historical biopic on Algeria’s greatest leader, THE EMIR ABD EL KADER and is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture.